We spend so much of our time drinking coffee, talking about coffee, selling coffee, thinking about coffee… It can be easy to forget that there’s another caffeinated drink in the world, one even more widely consumed than coffee. More tea is drunk every day than any other beverage in the world (except water). It’s also an order of magnitude older than coffee – earliest records date tea consumption to around 3,000 BCE, but some recently discovered fossilized tea roots show signs of cultivation and date to 7,000 BCE! Let’s take a look at the plant itself before we dive into the different kinds.

Tea is an evergreen tree native to southwest China where the Yunnan province meets Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, India, and Myanmar. In the wild, tea trees can grow up to 55ft tall, but it’s unclear if any truly wild trees remain.  It was discovered and cultivated by Chinese Buddhist monks, and through them spread to the rest of East Asia. All tea comes from the same species of plant, Camellia sinensis. Technically speaking, herbal “teas” aren’t tea at all; rather they are infusions or “tisanes.” There are two main sub-species of this plant: sinensis and assamica. Sinensis is more suited to the high altitude, cooler, and seasonal fields of East Asia, while assamica, a taller and more broad-leafed varietal, is more suited to the tropical climate of India and Yunnan. Tea trees have relatively few pests and can live upwards of 50 years; in China, there are trees that are reportedly over 2,000 years old.

When cultivated, tea trees are pruned to a much more manageable size: about waist height, and no wider than arm’s reach. Tea plants are hardy with deep roots, but to produce the highest quality teas, Camellia sinensisneeds well drained and moist soil, annual rainfall of at least 40”, and a humid climate of at least 50*F. Much like coffee, higher altitudes are best (above 4,000ft). Nearly all tea is hand-picked, primarily by women. When harvesting tea, only the bud and/or the first 2-3 leaves must be gently plucked. The first harvest in the spring, when the tea plant bursts forth with new growth, is known as “first flush” and is the most highly prized. Some teas, like matcha and gyokuro, are only made with first flush harvests. Frequently tea plants can provide a second or even third flush that is often used for lower quality teas.

Tea contains anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of caffeine as an average cup of coffee – but the two plants are unrelated. Caffeine is known as a convergent evolution, meaning it evolved as a pest deterrent independently in about 60 different plants – most notably in coffee, tea, and cocoa. Theanine, an amino acid that promotes the development of alpha brain waves, is only present in tea however. The combination of caffeine and theanine create the calming-yet-stimulating effect idiosyncratic to tea. Theanine also creates the umami flavor that is unique and sought after in certain green teas.

When it comes to finding great tea – the process is quite like good coffee sourcing. Purveyors travel to origin (often called “source” in tea) to visit farmers and taste what they have to offer. It’s quite difficult as a foreigner to visit some tea growing villages in China, especially since some ancient tea trees are protected cultural treasures. Additionally, a great deal more tea is consumed in country than coffee, where the vast majority is meant for export.

*all photos courtesy of Rishi Tea.